Scottish Executive

Agriculture

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has undertaken any investigations into revenues raised by farmers from growing barley for (a) malting and (b) feed; if so, what the outcome was and, if it has not, whether it will consider undertaking such investigations.

Ross Finnie: As part of the annual process of compiling the Aggregate Account for Agriculture to calculate the total income from farming, data on cereal crops are collated from a variety of sources. The estimated gross output of Scottish barley for the calendar year 2001 was £196.5 million, including £66.6 million of direct subsidies. The revenue for malting and feed barley were estimated at £48.5 million and £73.5 million respectively.

Air Services

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial assistance it is providing to the development of direct flights between Glasgow Airport and European destinations.

Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer to question S1W-29013 on 18 September 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Anti-Social Behaviour

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the procedure is for housing associations to obtain anti-social behaviour orders and what plans it has to simplify the current arrangements.

Mr Jim Wallace: Local authorities have the power to apply to the sheriff court for an anti-social behaviour order. Housing associations (and any other landlord) can request that the local authority apply for an order on their behalf. The Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill will give courts the power to grant an interim anti-social behaviour order to take effect pending the outcome of the substantive application. This will provide more immediate relief from anti-social behaviour.

Children's Panels

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is an upper age limit on membership of Children’s Panels and, if so, whether it will consider removing it in order to take advantage of older persons and their life skills.

Cathy Jamieson: By way of background I would refer to answers given by Mr Sam Galbraith in response to Mr Bristow Muldoon and Mr Alex Neil on the same matter (S1W-1004 and S1W-1240 on 14 September 1999). There is no statutory upper age limit for children’s panel members. In keeping with the ethos of the Kilbrandon report that members should broadly be the contemporaries of the parents of the child or young person, panel members are not normally appointed beyond their 66th birthday.

Climate Change

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22343 by Ross Finnie on 8 February 2002, whether it has any plans to set targets for major energy users such as Scottish Water.

Ross Finnie: Targets can be set under the negotiated agreements procedure whereby companies get a discount on climate change levy in return for meeting agreed targets. Only companies using processes (irrespective of thresholds) covered by Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) are entitled to enter into such agreements with the Government.

  Apart from some waste sites, the water industry is not covered by IPPC. It is already regulated by a number of other European Environment Directives, and was excluded to avoid duplication of regulation. Specifically in relation to Scottish Water, it is not a private company and thus does not benefit from enhanced capital allowances, this is because it does not pay corporation tax nor is it in profit.

Criminal Records

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many crimes and offences have not been recorded as a result of failure of the updated police computer system.

Mr Jim Wallace: The recording of crimes and offences is a matter for local police forces. The member may be referring to police reports of crimes and offences to the procurator fiscal which are now being handled electronically as part of the Integration of Scottish Criminal Justice Information Systems programme. This involves a range of criminal justice organisations, not only the police, but includes the use of a Scottish Criminal Records Office reference number. While implementation of the programme may create additional local pressures initially, I have not been advised of any circumstances in which police officers have not recorded crimes or offences or have not reported to procurators fiscal because of systems failure.

Dental Health

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what average number of patients is currently registered to salaried dentists in each NHS board area.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-29068 on 20 September 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Dental Health

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average number of general dental practitioners is in NHS board areas and what average number of (a) NHS and (b) private patients is registered to general dental practitioners in each NHS board area.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: The average number of general dental practitioners in NHS board areas and the average number of NHS patients registered to general dental practitioners in each NHS board area are shown in the table. Information on private patients is not available.

  General Dental Practitioners (GDPs) and NHS Patients Registered; by Health Board Area

  


NHS Board Area 
  

Number of GDPs1,5


Average Number of GDPs in NHS Board Areas1,2,5


Average Number of NHS Patients Registered3,4,5




Scotland 
  

2,016 
  

134 
  

1,321 
  



Argyll and Clyde 
  

175 
  

- 
  

1,259 
  



Ayrshire and Arran 
  

129 
  

- 
  

1,603 
  



Borders 
  

41 
  

- 
  

1,541 
  



Dumfries and Galloway 
  

37 
  

- 
  

1,858 
  



Fife 
  

134 
  

- 
  

1,392 
  



Forth Valley 
  

101 
  

- 
  

1,461 
  



Grampian 
  

156 
  

- 
  

1,647 
  



Greater Glasgow 
  

414 
  

- 
  

1,173 
  



Highland 
  

92 
  

- 
  

919 
  



Lanarkshire 
  

195 
  

- 
  

1,376 
  



Lothian 
  

354 
  

- 
  

1,183 
  



Orkney 
  

7 
  

- 
  

1,104 
  



Shetland 
  

13 
  

- 
  

528 
  



Tayside 
  

161 
  

- 
  

1,423 
  



Western Isles 
  

7 
  

- 
  

1,650 
  



  Notes:

  1. Number of principal GDPs at 30 June 2002.

  2. It is possible to calculate the average number of GDPs only for Scotland (i.e. 2,016 GDPs divided by 15 health boards).

  3. Registration figures at 30 June 2002 recorded on 31 July 2002.

  4. The average number of NHS patients registered is calculated by dividing the total number of NHS patients registered by the number of GDPs.

  5. These data include salaried principals and their patients.

Dental Health

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made with regard to increasing NHS dental provision in Arbroath.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: Responsibility for the overall provision of NHS dental services in an area rests with the relevant NHS board or Primary Care NHS Trust. Tayside Primary Care NHS trust recently received approval to appoint a joint CDS/GDS dentist, i.e. a community dental officer who provides general dental services for part of his/her time, based in Arbroath. If the trust considers that a further gap in provision exists it can apply for approval to appoint a salaried dentist.

Employment

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made in regard to redundancies announced at TelesensKSCL in Edinburgh.

Iain Gray: Officials at Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothians have arranged to meet with senior management at Convergys Ltd to establish its future plans for the operations in Edinburgh. In addition, officials have been in touch, through the receivers, with the former employees of Telesens to make them aware of the assistance available to help them find alternative employment.

Employment

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the redundancies at TelesensKSCL in Edinburgh, whether it will make representations to the Department of Trade and Industry in regard to any legislative changes which may be required to guarantee redundancy payments to workers.

Iain Gray: Such guarantees are already in place. Under the Employment Rights Act 1996, the Department of Trade and Industry can pay redundancy pay and certain other debts owed to former employees of insolvent companies out of the National Insurance Fund. This legislation implements the EU Insolvency Directive and guarantees a basic minimum of payments to employees of insolvent employers who would normally have to wait some considerable time for payment as creditors in the insolvency proceedings.

  The Redundancy Payments Service has investigated the transfer of business from Telesens to Convergys and is satisfied that the dismissals were either unconnected with the transfer, or were made for economic, technical or organisation reasons entailing changes in the workforce. This means that liability for payment lies with the National Insurance Fund. The payments for the former employees have been processed and they should by now have received payment.

Ferry Services

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the board members of Caledonian MacBrayne are subject to any code of conduct which applies to the board members of public bodies.

Lewis Macdonald: As a matter of good practice, Caledonian MacBrayne Limited has adopted the Principles of Good Governance and Code of Best Practice (the Combined Code), as published by the Committee for Corporate Governance in June 1998. It has also adopted the Internal Control Guidance for Directors on the Combined Code (the Turnbull Guidance), as published in September 1999.

Finance

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive (a) on what occasions it has waived the contractual obligation of private contractors under the private finance initiative to obtain a contract of insurance and (b) what insurance policies it has provided to private contractors under the private finance initiative, giving in each case the (i) premium paid, (ii) excess and (iii) insured sum.

Mr Andy Kerr: There are no instances where the Executive has waived the contractual obligation of the contractor to obtain a contract of insurance nor are there instances where it has provided insurance policies for private contractors. Other PPP contracts are a matter for the authority concerned.

Fisheries

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the £1 million for grants to the fish processing industry announced by the then Deputy Minister for Rural Development during the debate on the fishing industry on 8 March 2001 has been spent and what the benefits of these grant awards have been.

Ross Finnie: The action plan for the fish processing sector was prepared in co-operation with the fish processing industry and is currently being implemented. Expenditure on the plan is entirely driven by the level of up-take by the industry. So far, £350,000 has been spent. In light of the poor up-take, I have asked the industry to consider whether the action plan might usefully be extended and to submit proposals to me.

Food Labelling

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to alter the labelling of foodstuffs to provide information on the level of salt contained in the product.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: I have been advised that the Food Standards Agency will be pressing in Europe for nutrition labelling to be made compulsory on all packaged foods, this will include a declaration of salt content. Current European rules require information about the level of sodium (rather than salt) in a food to be given on food labels only when certain claims, such as "low salt", have been made. European discussions are due to begin next year.

Football

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that there is a single unified body regulating football and whether it will withhold funds and support from any organisation which does not accede to this aim.

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make funding and assistance to organisations and bodies representing and involved in football dependent on structural change and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Dr Elaine Murray: Scottish ministers have no direct locus in how football is governed. It is a matter for the Scottish Football Association as the recognised governing body of the sport of Association Football in Scotland. I do not anticipate that any strategic decisions about future public funding for football will be reached until the outcome of the review by independent consultants of youth football development in Scotland is known.

Football

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to implement the Ernie Walker Think-tank report into Scottish football.

Dr Elaine Murray: This is a matter for the Scottish Football Association who commissioned this report.

Football

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many organisations representing football interests it funds or communicates with on a regular basis, either directly or indirectly.

Dr Elaine Murray: The Scottish Executive generally channels resources for the development of sport, including football at all levels, through  sportscotland.

  On the matter of communication, the Executive has contact with a range of football bodies including individual clubs but most frequently with the Scottish Football Association, the Scottish Premier League and the Scottish Football League.

Genetically Modified Crops

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive (a) how, (b) when and (c) by whom non-GM crops located 50 m from the GM crop trial at Munlochy were tested for contamination.

Ross Finnie: No specific monitoring was carried out on non-GM crops situated in the vicinity of the GM crop trial at Munlochy.

  Separation distances are in place around GM crop trials to minimise the potential for cross-pollination. They do not reflect any doubts about safety; they are used to maintain high levels of purity in adjacent crops and are a recognised method of enabling different crops to co-exist. The Executive’s scientific advisers are satisfied that neither cross-pollination involving the variety of GM herbicide tolerant oil seed rape being grown in the farm-scale trials, nor the pollen itself landing on neighbouring crops, poses a threat to human health or the environment. The harvested GM crop and any sexually compatible crops grown within the separation distances surrounding GM crop trials will not enter the human food or animal feed chain.

Genetically Modified Crops

Fiona McLeod (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive (a) to whom and (b) when non-GM crops grown 50 m from the GM crop trial at Munlochy were sold.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive does not hold this information since this is not a matter for regulation. The farmer is at liberty to market, or use as he wishes, any conventional crop beyond the 50 m separation distance. Our advisers are confident that such a crop poses absolutely no threat to human or animal health.

Justice

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to its news release SE5064/2001, what the current position is in relation to the High Court Review report.

Mr Jim Wallace: Lord Bonomy is expected to submit the report of his review of the High Court to ministers during the autumn.

Landfill Tax

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding for the Scottish Assigned Budget it derived from the landfill tax in each year since 1999-2000.

Mr Andy Kerr: The landfill tax is part of the generality of revenues to the UK Exchequer. In setting public expenditure, it is not general practice to attribute specific revenues to specific spending provision.

Legislation

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27615 by Dr Richard Simpson on 22 August 2002, what benefits in relation to matters within its responsibility it envisages will accrue from the reclassification of cannabis.

Dr Richard Simpson: Legislation on the classification of drugs is reserved to the UK Parliament, and it will be for them to decide finally whether cannabis will be reclassified. The Executive has, however, worked closely with the Home Office about these proposals.

  The proposals to reclassify cannabis are based on the outcome of a comprehensive scientific assessment of its risks to health, relative to other drugs. We can, therefore, deliver a credible message to young people in Scotland about the levels of harm posed by cannabis, compared to other illegal drugs.

  We have achieved this by giving wide distribution to a guide to cannabis reclassification, which was published to coincide with the Home Secretary’s announcement on 10 July. The guide was published as part of our Know the Score Drugs Communications Strategy. It sets out the legal position, and the risks to physical and mental health associated with cannabis misuse.

Local Government

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the appointment of consultants for proposed PFI/PPP schemes and housing stock transfers in each year since 1997, (a) which consultants were appointed and what the value of the contract was in each case and (b) how many of these consultants are involved in providing other services to (i) local and (ii) central government.

Mr Andy Kerr: Data on appointments of consultants for proposed PFI/PPP contracts is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Details relating to how many of these consultants are involved in providing other services to the Executive are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  It is Scottish Executive policy that services should be acquired following competition wherever possible. Where the value of a consultancy contract is anticipated to be above the EC threshold, business is only awarded following a competition compliant with the EC Services Directive.

  Local authority contracts are a matter for the local authority concerned.

Local Government

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many invitations to tender for appointment as consultants for proposed PFI/PPP schemes and housing stock transfers have been (a) openly advertised, (b) competitive but by invitation only, (c) advertised in the official journal and (d) awarded without any competition in each year since 1997 and whether there are any other means by which tender bids may be submitted.

Mr Andy Kerr: This information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  It is Scottish Executive policy that services should be acquired following competition wherever possible. Contract notices are commonly placed in Government Opportunities magazine, trade press and newspapers. Where the value of the contract is anticipated to be above the EC threshold, competitions are run in accordance with the procedures of the EC Services Directive, under which contract notices are required to be placed in the Official Journal of the European Community.

Local Government

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there has been any economic analysis of the impact on the economy of (a) using different types of tendering process, (b) using different forms of consultancies, (c) using consultants based in Scotland, (d) using in-house expertise and (e) recruiting special teams of objective and impartial staff in respect of appointing consultants for proposed PPP/PFI schemes and housing stock transfers and, in particular, whether Audit Scotland has been asked to consider such matters.

Mr Andy Kerr: No such analysis has been conducted. European law prohibits discrimination in favour of firms based on geographic location.

  Audit Scotland carried out a recent study of the PFI procurement of schools by Scottish councils on behalf of the Accounts Commission. The resulting report was published earlier this year and includes a commentary on the financial consequences of the first round of schools PFI contracts and on the tendering and appraisal processes for such schemes, including the need for objective appraisals. This report did not include any assessment of the wider impact of these projects on the Scottish economy.

Local Government

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give a breakdown of income raised by each local authority from (a) parking charges and (b) parking fines in each of the last five years, expressed (i) per capita and (ii) as a percentage of total income.

Peter Peacock: Information for each local authority on the levels of income raised from parking charges and fines (not shown separately), total income and population levels, is available for each year from 1996-97 in the Parliament’s Reference Centre:

  Rating Review: Actuals of Income and Expenditure 1996-97 (Bib. number 7544)

  Rating Review: Actuals of Income and Expenditure 1997-98 (Bib. number 7545)

  Rating Review: Actuals of Income and Expenditure 1998-99 (Bib. number 7548)

  Rating Review: Actuals of Income and Expenditure 1999-2000 (Bib. number 14654)

  Rating Review: Actuals of Income and Expenditure 2000-01 (Bib. number 19781).

Media

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it provided either directly or indirectly to community newspapers in each year since 1999, broken down by newspaper.

Ms Margaret Curran: The information requested is not held centrally.

NHS Funding

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any NHS trusts do not have sufficient funding to support the implementation of Health Technology Board for Scotland guidance on new drugs.

Malcolm Chisholm: In determining NHS boards’ unified budgets each year, the Scottish Executive Health Department takes account of the expected costs of implementing likely recommendations from the Health Technology Board for Scotland (HTBS). I expect NHSScotland to take account of HTBS advice and ensure that funding is available to meet clinical need.

Nursing

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many nurses were recruited in each of the last three years and how many new recruitments are planned in each of the next three years, broken down by NHS board.

Malcolm Chisholm: The number of qualified nurses and midwives recruited in each of the last three years by NHS board is shown in the following table.

  I am awaiting information about number of recruitments planned and will reply to the member in writing and will also place a copy in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

  Qualified Nurses and Midwives Recruited to NHSScotland: Headcount of Staff in Post as at 30 September

  

 

1999 
  

2000 
  

2001 
  



Scotland 
  

3,196 
  

2,906 
  

3,493 
  



Ayrshire and Arran NHS Board 
  

157 
  

174 
  

204 
  



Borders NHS Board 
  

66 
  

54 
  

62 
  



Argyll and Clyde NHS Board 
  

224 
  

247 
  

256 
  



Fife NHS Board 
  

188 
  

135 
  

168 
  



Greater Glasgow NHS Board 
  

529 
  

501 
  

629 
  



Highland NHS Board 
  

131 
  

158 
  

163 
  



Lanarkshire NHS Board 
  

193 
  

179 
  

209 
  



Grampian NHS Board 
  

496 
  

413 
  

450 
  



Lothian NHS Board 
  

612 
  

629 
  

790 
  



Tayside NHS Board 
  

317 
  

138 
  

243 
  



Forth Valley NHS Board 
  

135 
  

110 
  

120 
  



Dumfries and Galloway NHS Board 
  

95 
  

98 
  

105 
  



Orkney NHS Board 
  

4 
  

8 
  

10 
  



Western Isles NHS Board 
  

15 
  

21 
  

26 
  



Shetland NHS Board 
  

16 
  

20 
  

27 
  



State Hospital 
  

8 
  

6 
  

23 
  



Common Services Agency 
  

10 
  

15 
  

8 
  



  Notes:

  1. These data are released under National Statistics.

  2. The data show the number of qualified nurses and midwives recruited to each NHS board in each of the last three years.

  3. For the purpose of this parliamentary question, recruits are defined as those individuals who are new to NHSScotland, those who rejoined NHSScotland, and those who were previously working as bank staff but who have obtained substantive posts,

  4. The data are sourced from the National Manpower Statistics from Payroll as at 30 September. The individual NAMS census files are linked using National Insurance number. The linked NAMS file dates back to 1979. New joiners can be identified as those individuals who appear for the first time on the relevant census. Rejoiners can be identified as those individuals who appear on the relevant census and who appeared on at least one census previously before leaving.

Nursing

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many nurses’ training places it funded in each education institution in each of the last three years and how many places it plans to fund in each of the next three years.

Malcolm Chisholm: Information on the number of nurse training places funded by the Scottish Executive in each of the last three years and for 2002-03 is set out in the following table.

  


Institution 
  

1999-2000 
  

2000-01 
  

2001-02 
  

2002-03 
  



Bell College 
  

777 
  

867 
  

944 
  

949 
  



Dundee 
  

1,180 
  

1,235 
  

1,268 
  

1,326 
  



Glasgow Caledonian 
  

970 
  

1,044 
  

1,081 
  

1,146 
  



Napier 
  

1,413 
  

1,509 
  

1,535 
  

1,492 
  



Paisley 
  

1,094 
  

1,119 
  

1,136 
  

1,145 
  



Robert Gordon 
  

980 
  

1,018 
  

1,027 
  

1,111 
  



Stirling 
  

879 
  

938 
  

947 
  

985 
  



Total 
  

7,293 
  

7,730 
  

7,938 
  

8,154 
  



  The information shows funded places based on the recommendation of the Student Nurse Intake Planning (SNIP) Group through which the Scottish Executive assesses the supply and demand for qualified nurses and midwives each year.

  The information on funded places for 2002-03 is provisional until courses commence in late September/October. Information for 2003-04 and beyond is not yet known but will be based on SNIP's recommendations.

Police

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there will be a prohibition on the use by police forces of baton guns when dealing with public order disturbances or political demonstrations.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland has made clear that baton guns are to be deployed in Scotland in situations where police officers are faced with life threatening incidents as a less lethal alternative to conventional firearms. I have been assured that there are no plans for the police to use baton guns in Scotland when dealing with public order disturbances or political demonstrations, and I have made clear that Scottish ministers would need to be consulted were that position ever to change.

Police

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many police officers there were in (a) each division and (b) each station within the Lothian and Borders area (i) in each year from 1997 to 1999 and (ii) in each quarter since May 1999.

Mr Jim Wallace: The deployment of police officers within the Lothian and Borders Police area is an operational matter for the Chief Constable. Information is held centrally on the numbers of police officers in the force, on a quarterly basis, but not on the deployment of those officers to divisions or stations within the force area.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27403 by Mr Jim Wallace on 2 August 2002, what conclusion has been reached in the case of each notice it has received under paragraph 6.8 of the Minute of Agreement between the Secretary of State for Scotland and Kilmarnock Prison Services Ltd for the Design, Construction, Management and Financing of a Prison at Kilmarnock .

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  No action was necessary. Kilmarnock Prison Services Limited subsequently advised that they had obtained and placed insurance cover.

Procurator Fiscal Service

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many members of staff have been employed at each procurator fiscal office in (a) Lothians and (b) the Scottish Borders (i) in a secretarial or administrative capacity, (ii) as a procurator fiscal depute and (iii) as a trainee procurator fiscal depute in each year since 1997.

Colin Boyd QC: The information requested is displayed in the tables and is grouped into four categories:

  Procurator Fiscal and Promoted Legal Staff (Procurator Fiscal (PF), Assistant Procurator Fiscal (Asst PF); Senior Principal Depute (SPD); Principal Depute (PD));

  Procurator Fiscal Depute (entrant level for fully qualified solicitor);

  Legal Trainees (serving a two-year traineeship prior to full admission as solicitor), and

  Non-Legally Qualified Staff includes all other staff (Executive, Precognition, Administrative, Secretarial and support staff).

  Each office has a procurator fiscal who holds the Lord Advocate’s commission with the exception of Selkirk/Peebles and Jedburgh/Duns where one fiscal holds a commission for both offices. All information is based on permanent staff in post (full-time equivalent).

  1 April 1997

  

 

Duns 
  

Edinburgh 
  

Haddington 
  

Jedburgh 
  

Linlithgow 
  

Peebles 
  

Selkirk 
  



PF, Asst PF, SPD and PD 
  

0 
  

6 
  

1 
  

1 
  

1 
  

0 
  

1 
  



Procurator Fiscal Depute 
  

0 
  

20.9 
  

1 
  

0 
  

5 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Legal Trainees 
  

0 
  

1 
  

0 
  

1 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Non-Legally Qualified 
  

2 
  

89.8 
  

5 
  

2 
  

13.1 
  

0 
  

2 
  



  1 April 1998

  

 

Duns 
  

Edinburgh 
  

Haddington 
  

Jedburgh 
  

Linlithgow 
  

Peebles 
  

Selkirk 
  



PF, Asst PF, SPD and PD 
  

0 
  

11 
  

1 
  

1 
  

2 
  

0 
  

1 
  



Procurator Fiscal Depute 
  

0 
  

19.7 
  

1 
  

0 
  

3 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Legal Trainees 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Non-Legally Qualified 
  

2 
  

88.8 
  

3.8 
  

2 
  

14.6 
  

0 
  

3 
  



  1 April 1999

  

 

Duns 
  

Edinburgh 
  

Haddington 
  

Jedburgh 
  

Linlithgow 
  

Peebles 
  

Selkirk 
  



PF, Asst PF, SPD and PD 
  

0 
  

11 
  

1 
  

1 
  

2 
  

0 
  

1 
  



Procurator Fiscal Depute 
  

0 
  

19 
  

1 
  

0 
  

3 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Legal Trainees 
  

0 
  

1 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Non-Legally Qualified 
  

2 
  

92.3 
  

4.8 
  

2 
  

12.5 
  

0 
  

2 
  



  1 April 2000

  

 

Duns 
  

Edinburgh 
  

Haddington 
  

Jedburgh 
  

Linlithgow 
  

Peebles 
  

Selkirk 
  



PF, Asst PF, SPD and PD 
  

0 
  

10 
  

1 
  

1 
  

2 
  

0 
  

1 
  



Procurator Fiscal Depute 
  

0 
  

20.6 
  

1 
  

0 
  

5.1 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Legal Trainees 
  

0 
  

1 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Non-Legally Qualified 
  

2 
  

90.1 
  

5.8 
  

2 
  

14.5 
  

0 
  

2 
  



  1 April 2001

  

 

Duns 
  

Edinburgh 
  

Haddington 
  

Jedburgh 
  

Linlithgow 
  

Peebles 
  

Selkirk 
  



PF, Asst PF, SPD and PD 
  

0 
  

11 
  

1 
  

1 
  

2 
  

0 
  

1 
  



Procurator Fiscal Depute 
  

0 
  

25 
  

1 
  

0 
  

5.1 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Legal Trainees 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

0 
  

1 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Non-Legally Qualified 
  

2 
  

93.1 
  

4.8 
  

2 
  

14.3 
  

0 
  

2 
  



  1 April 2002

  

 

Duns 
  

Edinburgh 
  

Haddington 
  

Jedburgh 
  

Linlithgow 
  

Peebles 
  

Selkirk 
  



PF, Asst PF, SPD and PD 
  

0 
  

11.8 
  

1 
  

1 
  

2 
  

0 
  

1 
  



Procurator Fiscal Depute 
  

0 
  

25 
  

1 
  

0 
  

5.6 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Legal Trainees 
  

0 
  

2 
  

0 
  

0 
  

1 
  

0 
  

0 
  



Non-Legally Qualified 
  

2 
  

93.1 
  

4.8 
  

2 
  

14.3 
  

0 
  

2

Public Bodies

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures for appointing consultants must be undertaken by public bodies which it funds either directly or indirectly.

Mr Andy Kerr: Procedures relating to the appointment of consultants are a matter for the individual bodies concerned, subject to any overarching principles in the Scottish Public Finance Manual  and the EC Public Procurement Directives.

Public Transport

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much financial support has been provided in real terms to Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive in each year from 1985-86 until the most recent year for which figures are available.

Lewis Macdonald: The Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive is funded by the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority. The Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority receives both revenue and capital support from both central and local government. The Scottish Executive does not hold information on the total financial support provided to the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority.

Public Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give revenue support to the enhancement of the bus service from Ferry Toll to Victoria Quay in order to improve the off-peak service for its staff; whether this is a factor in its Green Transport Plan, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Lewis Macdonald: The current peak-time bus service between Ferrytoll and Victoria Quay is taken into account in the Scottish Executive Travel Plan.

  This meets the vast majority of the travel requirements of staff who may wish to travel by bus between Ferrytoll and Victoria Quay. There are no plans to provide revenue support to off-peak services.

Public Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any representations to Her Majesty’s Government to have Insurance Premium Tax levied on coach and bus operators hypothecated for the benefit of public transport in that mode; if it has made no such representations, whether it will now do so, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including insurance.

Public Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it plans to take to assist coach and bus operators to obtain motor and public liability insurance in the light of any reduction in the number of companies offering such insurance and what steps it plans to take in order to alleviate any increase in premiums.

Lewis Macdonald: This is a commercial matter for the bus industry. It is not appropriate for the Scottish Executive to underwrite statutory business costs.

Public Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to (a) introduce technology and, in particular, bus camera technology to assist in the enforcement of bus lanes as dedicated lanes for public transport and (b) for legislative changes to facilitate the introduction of such technology and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Lewis Macdonald: Bus lane enforcement is a matter for local authorities and the police. Legislative powers are already in place to enable the use of camera technology for bus lane enforcement.

  The Road Traffic Offenders (Additional Offences and Prescribed Devices) Order 1997 amended section 20(2) of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 so that bus lane contraventions could be prosecuted on the basis of a record produced by a prescribed device (e.g. cameras).

  In addition, the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 introduced provisions for local authorities operating decriminalised parking enforcement to introduce civil penalties for bus lane contraventions, and to enable such penalties to be imposed on the basis of a record produced by a prescribed device.

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has sought to ensure that the creation of a Musselburgh Parkway station is a condition of a new franchise for the East Coast Main Line or an extension of the existing franchise, and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Lewis Macdonald: Under the Transport Act 2000, the Scottish ministers can give statutory advice to the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) on cross-border franchises, and did so for the East Coast Main Line extension in September 2001. The Scottish ministers advised that the development of a Parkway station in East Lothian should be considered. A copy of the advice submitted on the franchise extension is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 15773).

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to (a) the Strategic Rail Authority, (b) the Department for Transport and (c) any other relevant authority regarding any extension of the existing franchise on the east coast main line.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government and the Strategic Rail Authority on a wide range of issues, including cross-border franchises.

  In January 2002 the Strategic Rail Authority extended the East Coast Main Line franchise by two years. This means that GNER will continue to operate the franchise until April 2005. Under the Transport Act 2000, the Scottish ministers can give statutory advice to the Strategic Rail Authority on cross-border franchises, and did so in September 2001. A copy of the advice submitted on the franchise extension is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 15773).

Roads

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it was a requirement of the contractual arrangements with BEAR Scotland Ltd that former employees of The Highland Council who, following the assumption by BEAR Scotland Ltd of legal responsibility for the maintenance of trunk roads in the area, were employed by that company should continue to be members of an occupational pension scheme based on final salary and whether such employees continued to be so.

Lewis Macdonald: There was no contractual requirement for transferred employees to be provided with continued membership of a final salary pension scheme.

Schools

Mr Andrew Welsh (Angus) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken to encourage schools to reduce and recycle waste.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive is an Institutional Partner of the International Eco-Schools Programme. The Eco-Schools Programme is a European environmental award programme which aims to promote environmental awareness in schools and provide pupils with a programme for decision making regarding the environmental management of their schools. The number/percentage of schools within a local authority participating in the award has been included as a performance measure under National Priority Four: Values and Citizenship. Further information can be found on the Eco-Schools website, http://www.eco-schools.org.uk/.

Scottish Executive Departments

Robin Harper (Lothians) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what environmental considerations were taken into account when furnishing its new Environment and Rural Affairs Department offices in Perth.

Ross Finnie: The Executive placed particular emphasis on environmental considerations when awarding the contract for the installation of internal furnishings and fittings in the new office building in Perth. The suppliers are committed to correct environmental practices, and are full signatories to the Office Furniture and Filing Manufacturers Association environmental policy.

Scottish Executive Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial irregularities were identified by the audit of its security branch in respect of each of the last three years, expressed (a) to the nearest pound and (b) as a percentage of the branch's budget for the year.

Mr Andy Kerr: The last audit of security branch was in 1998. The next will be carried out in 2003. The 1998 audit identified no significant issues.

Scottish Executive Finance

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) current and (b) former members of its security branch have now initiated legal proceedings in respect of underpayment of back pay and allowances; how long any such matters have remained unresolved, and when payments in full should be expected.

Mr Andy Kerr: No such action has been taken against the Scottish Executive by current or former members of the security branch. Following agreement with the Trades Union Side, serving members of staff were advised on 3 September 2001 of the process for claiming backdated Travel Time Payments. Former members of staff were written to individually during October 2001.

  Establishing entitlement to payment from historical records for ex-members of staff has been a complex task. There are 12 remaining cases. These are expected to be resolved shortly.

Scottish Transport Group Pension Schemes

Ms Wendy Alexander (Paisley North) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to its proposals for ex-gratia payments to be made in respect of the Scottish Bus Group Pension Funds, how many beneficiaries of such payments will be in the Paisley North constituency area and how much will be paid to such beneficiaries in total.

Lewis Macdonald: The information requested is not held centrally.

Sex Offenders

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many persons are currently on the Sex Offenders Register.

Mr Jim Wallace: At 28 August 2002, 1,816 registered sex offenders were recorded by the Scottish Criminal Record Office as being administered by Scottish Police Forces.

Special Educational Needs

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) average and (b) target times are for resolving parent appeals with regard to record of needs.

Cathy Jamieson: The average time for completion of the 20 record of needs appeals, for which decisions were reached in the period April 2001 to March 2002, was 66 weeks. The process is time consuming and the length of individual cases can be influenced by a variety of factors.

  There is no target timescale in legislation for completion of record of needs appeals referred to Scottish ministers.

  The record of needs process, including the appeal system, is currently under review. Proposals for change will be published in a draft Education Bill in early 2003.

Student Finance

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-20841 and S1W-23116 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 24 December 2001 and 13 March 2002, whether the current arrangements for Hardship Funds are the most equitable means of funding financial support for those students they apply to.

Iain Gray: Decisions on awards from Hardship Funds allocations are made by colleges and universities who are best placed to assess whether individual students need this additional support.

  The current arrangements for Hardship Funds and the Mature Students Bursary Fund (MSBF) aim to retain as much of that discretion as possible while at the same time targeting the support to those students who need it most. We have asked institutions for feedback on the first year of MSBF and will consider whether any changes should be made to the arrangements in the light of their comments.

Student Finance

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-20841 and S1W-23117 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 24 December 2001 and 13 March 2002, what further consideration it has given to aligning student financial support for students in further and higher education.

Iain Gray: We will consider further the alignment of the student support for further and higher education students in the light of the forthcoming lifelong learning strategy.

Taxation

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it estimates would be raised in net revenue by making use of the tax-varying powers of the Scottish Parliament by raising income tax by (a) one pence, (b) two pence and (c) three pence in the pound.

Mr Andy Kerr: HM Treasury publish an estimate of impact of the use of the Scottish Parliament’s tax varying powers each year in the Financial Statement and Budget Report. This year’s document states that a one penny change in the Scottish variable rate of income tax for 2002-03 could be worth approximately £230 million. Although in practice we would expect the revenue generated from a second and third penny to be less, the reduction is likely to be well within the margin of error, so that revenue from the second and third penny can also be assumed to be £230 million.

Water Safety

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has ascertained the cause of the cryptosporidosis outbreak in Grampian in early 2002.

Ross Finnie: The Outbreak Control Team (OCT) investigating the cause of the outbreak has not yet published its findings. The Scottish Executive has written to the chairman of the OCT, from Grampian NHS board, asking if the final report could be complete by 16 October 2002.

Water Safety

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-26585 by Ross Finnie on 24 June 2002, when performance data from the trials conducted at the pilot water treatment plant at Milngavie will be made publicly available.

Ross Finnie: The performance data from the pilot water treatment plant at Milngavie is highly technical in nature and consequently Scottish Water has no plans to publish it. However, the Water Research Centre (WRc) has carried out an expert review of the treatment process selection and design, and this is publicly available. The WRc report has previously been submitted to East Dunbartonshire Council, by Scottish Water, in support of the planning application for a new treatment works.

Water Safety

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive,  further to the answer to question S1W-26586 by Ross Finnie on 24 June 2002, which public body is responsible for determining whether adequate treatment processes and operating protocols have been put in place to minimise the risk of cryptosporidium entering the water supply.

Ross Finnie: The Drinking Water Quality Regulator for Scotland checks that the requirements of the Cryptosporidium Directions are being met and will enforce compliance if shortcomings are found.